Matthew Aguilar: Joshua Clottey's great but Manny 'Pac-Man' Pacquiao is greater

By Matthew Aguilar / Special to the Times

Joshua Clottey is as tough and dangerous a welterweight as there is in boxing.

He has cut his teeth against the world's best 147-pounders; he has an aggressive, straight-forward style that makes him fun to watch and easy to root for. He is gutsy, determined and skillful, and two of his three losses have come via decision to a pair of boxing's elite fighters.

Those who think the native of Ghana is a mere replacement for Floyd Mayweather Jr. don't know boxing.

Unfortunately for "Grandmaster," he is fighting the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world -- a superstar who is in his prime and considered not only the best fighter of the last decade, but one of the greatest warriors to ever lace up the gloves.

Yes, even for highly-qualified, deserving, former world champions like Clottey, facing Manny Pacquiao is a daunting task. And the challenger will need a superhuman effort to come out victorious when the duo meets for "Pac-Man's" WBO welterweight title at Cowboys Stadium (7 p.m. today, HBO pay-per-view).

Matchup problems

Clottey, 35-3 (20 knockouts), nearly hit the jackpot in his last fight, a razor-close 12-round decision loss to Miguel Cotto last June. He rebounded from a flash knockdown in the first round to punish Cotto down the stretch, turning the Puerto Rican's face into a bloody mess.

Cotto got the disputed decision, with that knockdown playing a vital role in the outcome. Afterward, Clottey -- painfully close to a career-defining victory -- pleaded for a rematch.

It is ironic then that, nine months later, Clottey is getting an opportunity against the guy who beat Cotto. It goes without saying that he matched up better with Cotto. Because nobody matches up well with Pacquiao, 50-3-2 (38 KOs).

The Filipino mega-star not only fires lightning-quick punches out of a southpaw stance -- making him one of the most technically-difficult fighters in the world -- he also is among the hardest punchers in boxing.

He caught Oscar De La Hoya with a stiff, jarring left hand in the first round of their December 2008 fight, and the bigger, taller De La Hoya never fully recovered.

From there, it was a massacre, with the 5-foot-6 Pacquaio registering a ninth-round TKO over the 5-10 De La Hoya. That was the start of an all-time great stretch for Pacquiao, who since then has knocked out Ricky Hatton (KO 2) and Cotto (TKO 12) in spectacular fashion.

Pacquiao is at the top of his game. But, at age 31, you have to wonder how much longer the joy ride will last.

A tough one

The first six rounds will be key for Clottey.

If the Ghanian can survive Pacquiao's speed, accuracy and crunching power for 18 minutes, his physical strength and bigger frame could have an effect on the Filipino. And, since Pac-Man hasn't been shy lately about engaging in toe-to-toe slugfests -- especially against fighters to which he feels superior -- a bonafide war could ensue.

That would be Clottey's best chance at victory.

But, even then, the challenger would be outgunned -- and getting beat three punches to one. At least. Every round will be exciting, and the Texas crowd will be treated to an action-packed, historic fight.

But, at the end of the day, the champ is just too good.

Pac-Man will use his amazing speed and power to wear Clottey down, who will be badly beaten and swollen at the end -- but gallant and still standing.

Pacquiao by 12th round TKO.

Source: elpasotimes.com

Manny Pacquiao got push to star status

By George Kimball
Saturday, March 13, 2010

ARLINGTON, Texas - With announcer Michael Buffer repeatedly describing the venue as “the Eighth Wonder of the World,” Cowboys Stadium hosted a dry run last night, as the world’s top boxer, World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and his Ghanaian challenger, Joshua Clottey, weighed in atop a stage erected on the concourse fronting the venue.

Just before Pacquiao and Clottey emerged from their dressing rooms, the massive floor-to-ceiling glass doors were winched open, leaving the end of the stadium fully exposed. With a beaming host and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and promoter Bob Arum looking on, first Clottey (147 pounds) and then Pacquiao (145) mounted the scale under the supervision of Texas boxing official Dickie Cole.

Pacquiao’s appearance was greeted by a thunderous ovation from what seemed to be thousands of Filipino supporters (as well as by one man carrying a sign whose allegiance proclaimed “Irish for Pacquiao”).

Clottey was met with polite applause.

According to Arum, one man is more responsible than any other for the fact that Pacquiao and Clottey will mix it up before a sold-out crowd of 45,000-plus, not to mention a pay-per-view audience that could top 750,000 buys and a worldwide television audience that will number in the millions.

And no, Arum wasn’t talking about himself, his partner Jones or even Floyd Mayweather Jr., although all of the above certainly bear some responsibility. Rather, the guy Arum had in mind was David Diaz, who in June 2008 put his World Boxing Council lightweight title on the line in agreeing to face Pacquiao.

“He didn’t have to do it,” noted Arum.

At the time Pacquiao had 50 professional bouts, but since he had never weighed more than 130 pounds, his credentials as a lightweight were nonexistent. There were those who felt Diaz might be too big for him and that the talented Filipino southpaw might be overreaching with the step up in weight.

But Pacquiao stopped Diaz in nine rounds that night to set in motion a remarkable journey that has taken him from a widely admired boxer to a veritable superstar legitimately compared to the very best who have ever worn gloves.

A guy who had never fought as a lightweight until he met Diaz will be fighting for the third time as a welterweight. In the interim he has fought and disposed of some of the sport’s biggest names: Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, none of whom survived to hear the final bell.

Win, lose or draw tonight against Clottey, Pacquiao will be in New York come June to pick up his third consecutive Fighter of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America.

“But if the Diaz fight doesn’t happen, neither does the De La Hoya fight,” said Arum. “He might not have fought Hatton or Cotto, and he might not be fighting Clottey (tonight).”

Diaz’ reward is a berth against Humberto Soto in the televised portion of the 10-bout card, a fight in which he will attempt to regain the same championship he lost to Pacquiao 21 months earlier.

It is a bout that could well be the swan song for Diaz (35-2-1). The 33-year-old Chicagoan, who has fought only once since a majority decision over Jesus Chavez last September, is a 5-1 underdog against Soto, who brings a career mark of 50-7-2 to Dallas.

Source: bostonherald.com

Examiner Bio Pacquiao vs. Clottey: addressing the weight difference on fight night

Pittsburgh Fight Sports Examiner | Scott Heritage

Earlier on today, Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey both made weight for their showdown tomorrow night in Dallas.

Pacquiao, who reportedly struggles to keep weight on to make welterweight, came in at 145 ¾ to Clottey's solid 147. On the night of the fight, Pacquiao isn't expected to come in a lot heavier than 150lbs, while Clottey's camp estimates 160lbs will be his actual fighting weight.

While on paper this might look to be in Clottey's advantage, there are some drawbacks of being that much bigger than his already faster opponent.

Pacquiao, coming from the lower weights is already much faster than Clottey. In fact the only welterweight who could probably match him today is Floyd Mayweather, a defensive fighter himself but a far cry from the Accra standout.

Clottey will try to use his size and weight to wrestle Pacquiao, rough him up in the clinches, lean on him and let's face it, its pretty likely he might cut him with his head. Pacquiao for his part will need to keep his distance and vary his usual pattern of straight forward attacking.

Pacquiao doesn't do well with dirty opponents or being cut, but similarly Clottey and his extra bulk is only going to slow him down even further. One of the biggest intangibles is that Clottey's stand in trainer used to work with Pacquiao as a cut man, and was present the last time Manny lost. DeJesus knows Manny isn't keen on being cut, and he also no doubt knows Clottey has a head like a block of concrete and his skin is like shoe leather. Other fighters can clash heads with Clottey all they want, but they are the only ones getting cut open.

If Clottey does cut Pacquiao, unintentionally or otherwise, then the fight will probably be a lot closer. Pacquiao's whirlwind attack will have to be more measured and Clottey might find picking him off as he comes in a lot easier.

Pacquiao will probably still take it, but Clottey might not go down without a fight as some are expecting.

Shaun Smith, Pittsburgh PA: "Lots of people thought Clottey's trainer being away would hold him back, but in the end it worked out a lot better for him. Lenny DeJesus is a better trainer than his original one, and he's worked with Pacquiao before as well"

Frank Hague, Pittsburgh PA: "My big worry about Clottey was that he might have struggled to make the 147lb limit. Cotto looked like a skeleton against Pacquiao and the fight reflected that. Clottey looked in great shape though, should be a good one"

Dean Martel, Pittsburgh PA: "Clottey looks a lot bigger than Pacquiao, but he'll need a lot more than size alone to make much of an impact. Cotto couldn't make a dent and he was nearly as big as Clottey by fight time"

Source: Examiner.com

Pacquiao, Clottey will tangle for title belt

By JOHN WHISLER San Antonio Express-News

ARLINGTON — His campaign for political office in the Philippines will begin soon. He has hinted that this could be his last fight.

And then there is the lingering hangover from the whole Floyd Mayweather Jr. mess.

Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) has ample reason to be distracted when he steps into the ring tonight against Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) in boxing's debut at Cowboys Stadium.

But don't bet on it.

“I know he's bigger and stronger than me,” said Pacquiao, who hasn't lost in five years. “So I can't underestimate him because he is a former world champion also.”

A sellout crowd of 45,000 is expected for the 12-round bout for Pacquiao's World Boxing Organization welterweight title, the main event on an HBO pay-per-view card that starts at 8 p.m.
Heavenly bout

On paper, it's a match made in boxing heaven: Pacquiao, the world's greatest fighter, competing in perhaps the world's greatest sports venue.

Maybe that's why promoters dubbed it “The Event.”

“The Fight,” the one fans wanted to see, is Pacquiao-Mayweather. But it died a slow and painful death after negotiations broke down over Mayweather's camp demanded random, Olympic-style blood tests.

Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum walked away from the bout and decided on Clottey, another fighter from the Top Rank stable.

Clottey, 32, is no Mayweather. His best hope for victory might be a distracted Pacquiao. A native of Accra, Ghana, now living in the Bronx, Clottey is coming off a 12-round split-decision loss to Miguel Cotto in June, a fight some say Clottey won. He owns wins over Zab Judah and Diego Corrales, but lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Antonio Margarito in 2006.

Pacquiao dominated Cotto in November in his last fight, winning by 12th-round TKO.

A durable fighter with underrated hand speed whose forte is blocking punches, Clottey has never been stopped or knocked out in 38 pro bouts.

But Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, predicts that will change.

“We've watched a lot of tape on Clottey,” Roach said. “Manny will overwhelm him with his speed and I do believe he will be the first person to (knock him out).”

Pacquiao is a 5-1 favorite in the scheduled 12-round fight.

Pacquiao weighed in at 145¾ pounds for the fight; Clottey weighed in at 147 pounds Friday.

Pacquiao, 31, maintains he is focused on this fight and nothing else.

He plans to return to the Philippines by March 22 to begin his campaign for a congressional seat. He ran for office in 2007 and was defeated.

“This is my last fight before the election,” Pacquiao said. “I am not saying I am going to retire.”
Strong denial

Pacquiao maintains he has never taken steroids and has declined to discuss the blood-testing issue in recent days.

It won't be a problem for this fight because Texas only requires urine testing after a fight.

Rafael Ramos of San Antonio will referee the bout.

San Antonio featherweight Joe Morales (20-13, four KOs) is scheduled to appear in a non-televised bout on the undercard.

Source: chron.com

ESPN’s ‘Around the Horn’ thinks the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight is ‘no big deal’

Sacramento Fight Sports Examiner | Rick Rockwell

You can count out some of today’s panelists on ESPN’s Around the Horn for being excited about the upcoming Pacquiao fight. 3 of the 4 panelists on today’s episode think that this fight is no big deal at all. Some panelists even said don’t bother them until Pacquiao and Mayweather fight. Let’s examine further.

During the show’s “Buy or Sell” segment, the host Tony Reali asked the question “is the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight a deal or no deal”? All 4 panelists J.A. Adande, Woody Paige, Gene Wojciechowski, and Kevin Blackistone had an opportunity to share their opinions about the fight.

Gene Wojciechowski
“This is no deal. PPV? You gotta pay me to watch this fight.”

J.A. Adande
“It aint Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, that’s why I’m not interested”.

Woody P.
“I will find something on the food network rather than pay to watch this fight. When he fights Mayweather then I will care. They could have marble shooting at that stadium and 45,000 people will show up”.

Kevin B.
“It is a big deal and I will be there. Pacquiao’s the champion and he’s the biggest personality in boxing. And it’s the first big fight there.”

Only Kevin Blackistone thought this fight was a big deal and he was correct in the reasons that he gave. But let me add a few more obvious reasons. The stars that are showing up this fight will give it the “important” feel. The venue is a first of it’s kind. And Pacquiao is the best fighter in the sport.

Kenny Wallace Roseville, CA “Did you catch Around the Horn today? What was Gene smoking?”

Yeah, I thought Gene’s comments were absolutely absurd. Pacquiao is the best fighter in the world. Even if he’s fighting someone that might be perceived as inferior, there’s still the entertainment value of watching one of the All-Time greats at the top of their sport. Gene needs a reality check.

Mark Jones Sacramento, CA “What was up with all the Mayweather talking on Around the Horn today? Don’t they realize that Pacquiao is fighting a top welterweight contender?”

It’s clear that they only want to see Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. And who can really blame them? However, to act like this fight has no meaning is just ignorant. Clottey is a legit fighter.

Source: Examiner.com

Pacquiao: World’s only Seven-division Champ

PhilBoxing.com
13 Mar 2010

Boxing writers named him as having re-invented the sport of sweet science, inspired millions, perhaps billions of people around the world. It would not be an overstatement that Manny Pacquiao is being hailed these days as the savior of a sport and a nation.

The Filipino boxer, who barely stands at 5ft 6½ inches , is universally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a point he emphatically demonstrated the past decade by crowning himself world champion in seven weight classes, the last the welteweight belt at the expense of Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto only November of last year, in the process enriching himself by US$13 million.

No less that Bob Arum, his promoter who head Top Rank, believes Pacquiao, otherwise – known as “ Pacman”, is the one boxer responsible for a resurrection of the long-dormant sport.

As for his countrymen, he approximates the status of deity.

Every time he fights, crime in the country drops to virtually zero. Whenever Pacquiao’s fights are on television. Shooting between army troops and the rebels in the south or elsewhere actually stopped.
All this simply adds to his status in as a humble superstar who gives away thousands of dollars each year to help his fellow countrymen cope with grinding poverty.

Born 31 years ago in the little-known town of Kibawe, Bukidnon in far south Mindanao, Pacquiao grew up selling breads and flowers to help keep his family in food. Like many of his countrymen, he had no shoes, little formal education and no future until he fled home at 14 to try his luck in prizefighting.
From the time he won his first professional fight, a four-rounder by decision, on January 22, 1995, rose from a 106-pound fighter to someone who has won world titles at flyweight (112), super-bantamweight (122), featherweight (126), super-featherweight (130), lightweight (135), light-welterweight (140) and welterweight (147).
His victims include Ricky Hatton, Oscar DeLa Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, and |Erik Morales, future Hall of Famers all and, in baseball, members of the murderers’ row in the batting order. Those victories catapulted the Filipino icon to the world pound-for-pound throne, a mythical title he has worn the past three years.

Pacquiao has fought 55 times, six fewer than the great Muhammad Ali and had boxed the same number of rounds (305) that Sugar Ray Leonard had when he retired.

Reason why even on the very eve of his fight with Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey for his welterweight plum on Sunday, debate on whether he should retire continues.

And chief trainer Freddie Roach, who has been handling him since 2001 as a flyweight champ,, has been pursuing the issue as a reminds of the perils of an overextended boxing career, as he battles the effects of pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome.

"It's hard to say. Is this my last fight? We'll see," Pacquiao, for his part, said. "One never knows. It's still so early to be talking about this, but I do like the thought of going out on top."We did a lot in boxing, achieved a lot -- more than what we set out to do."

Arum though, citing money as reason, said he was "inclined to doubt" that his star fighter would walk away from the sport
Another reason could be politics as the 31-year-old father of four with wife Jinkee is running anew for congress in the lone district of Srangani province.
Despite his iconic stature, he was unsuccessful when he ran for the Philippine Congress in 2007. Undaunted, he is running again this year.
Time magazine honored in 2009 ranked Pacquiao among the 100 people who most affect the world. Among his peers were Sister Mary Scullion, an advocate for the homeless in Philadelphia, and Suraya Pakzad, a women's rights activist in Afghanistan. He also appeared in the Time cover, the first Asian athlete to have been honored.
Pacquiao was already a pretty good fighter when he walked into Roach's Los Angeles gym in 2001 and asked Roach to be his new trainer. Pacquiao had won 31 of 35 bouts outside the United States and already owned the first of his major titles, the WBC flyweight (112-pound) championship. But the fighter, who relied almost exclusively on his dominant left hand, sensed he needed more if he wanted to conquer the sport in the United States. Roach agreed.

Roach, whom Pacquiao referred to as his “master”, tutored technique and preached the importance of ring strategy. He taught the importance of angles as well as the art of hitting and running. In the end, it has been a match made in boxing heaven. In their first fight together, Pacquiao won the IBF super bantamweight (122-pound) championship in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao has won his last 11 bouts by KO, including a career-ending against DeLa Hoya. He’s been voted Fighter of the Year in 2006, 2008 and 2009 by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Has a 90-1-2 record in world championship fights.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao’s Challenger Clottey Follows in Footsteps of Warriors

ARLINGTON, Tex. — Even here, with Saturday’s welterweight title fight in Cowboys Stadium, with nearly 45,000 seats sold, with Manny Pacquiao defending his latest world championship, the fight that fell apart looms over the proceedings.

Every day, someone asks Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, about the other fight, the dream bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxing’s undisputed kings. Roach gets that question in grocery stores and shopping malls, from Magic Johnson and the celebrities who train at his Wild Card Boxing Club, even from a waiter at an ice lounge in Los Angeles.

“I was wearing an Eskimo hat,” Roach said. “Same question. Everybody wants to see that fight.”

Instead, Pacquiao will face Joshua Clottey under the most jumbo of all JumboTrons, in the fight few wanted except for the participants, none more so than Clottey. To get here, he survived poverty in Africa, career turmoil and four years spent out of boxing, all to become the latest challenger from the most unlikely of boxing hotbeds.

Pacquiao travels in a luxury bus with his image plastered on the side. On Thursday, Clottey rode to Cowboys Stadium in a hotel shuttle van. Pacquiao houses his sizable entourage in two homes in Los Angeles. Clottey lives in a one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx.

Clottey lives a simple life, born out of necessity, buoyed by boxing, each of his 32 years defined by struggle and by spirit.

“I have the mentality of a warrior,” he said. “I love to be in the ring.”

Clottey grew up in Accra, Ghana, a place he described with two words: small and poor. His father worked in road construction, earning barely enough money to care for six children and Clottey’s mother.

Clottey grew up in a house with one room. As many as 10 people stayed there at a time, sharing a single bed, sleeping in shifts.

Clottey, part of the Ga tribe, grew up in a neighborhood called Bokum. He said the Ga fancied themselves as warriors, and that translated naturally to boxing.

“There is no help from nowhere,” Clottey said. “That makes you a harder boy. You have to be hard. Because if you don’t do that, you’re not going to eat.”

Boxing reigned in Bokum, like football in Texas or basketball in Harlem. Except, instead of pickup basketball, the boys in Bokum had pickup boxing.

Clottey said his neighborhood was split into seven areas, each with its own gym. He used the word “gym” loosely, because fights often took place on concrete, inside a thin rope, without hand wraps and with torn, mangled gloves. “Like there,” Clottey said, pointing to a dilapidated parking lot.

From this warrior mentality sprung dozens of warriors, the modern-day kind who fought their battles inside makeshift boxing rings. All the fighters — from the featherweight champion Azumah Nelson to the bruising welterweight Ike Quartey, among others — came from this small, poor place.

Many boxing champions have risen from similar circumstances, but the concentrated volume made Bokum different. Boxers became the area’s chief export.

“Manny Pacquiao’s poverty makes an American kid’s poverty look like luxury,” said the promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing. “From what I’ve heard, Clottey’s poverty makes Manny’s poverty look like luxury.”

Throughout his career, Clottey carried with him the spirit from the neighborhood. He endured a disastrous stretch in England, where he said he never faced top competition. He returned to Ghana, where he began plotting his big break — which was available only in the United States.

He arrived in 2003, broke, and landed in the Bronx, minutes from Yankee Stadium. The first time his manager, Vinny Scolpino, watched Clottey spar, Scolpino had never so much as heard of him.

“I didn’t know him from a hole in the wall,” Scolpino said. “Joshua Clottey was nobody, basically, just another 10-round fighter. I always thought he had something, a spark. Maybe because he had so little, he needed something.”

Clottey compiled a 35-3 record, with 21 knockouts, and his losses came against world champions. He beat Zab Judah. He lost by close decision to Antonio Margarito, despite fighting with a pair of broken hands. In his most recent fight, last June, he lost by controversial split decision to Miguel Cotto.

None of those fighters knocked Clottey down, or cut him, or left any mark other than three losses on his record. The only mark on Clottey is the tattoo he had inked a few weeks back, his initials interlocked with boxing gloves on his right forearm.

Roach predicted Pacquiao would become the first fighter to “stop” Clottey, to end the fight before the scorecards are tallied. Clottey responded: “Why would Manny Pacquiao knock me out? That surprises me. He can’t knock me out with punches.”

After the Cotto fight, Arum consoled an emotional Clottey in the dressing room by promising bigger future fights. Neither Scolpino nor Clottey envisioned what came next, when the Mayweather negotiations fell apart because of blood testing and Clottey landed the biggest of all bouts.

All week, these fighters tossed compliments at each other. Pacquiao called Clottey a gentleman and a “nice guy.” Clottey, while vowing to attack the smaller, quicker Pacquiao, lauded his place in boxing history.

Scolpino believes his fighter can shock Pacquiao on Saturday. He pronounced Clottey to be in the best shape of his career and said, “If he comes out with a ‘W,’ man, he’s on top of the world.”

If Pacquiao wins, and Mayweather defeats Shane Mosley on May 1, negotiations are expected to resume for the fight that would transcend boxing. But first, Pacquiao must topple Clottey, a fighter familiar with long odds.

“People have lost sight of Clottey because of the Mayweather stuff,” Arum said. “He’s never had the exposure. He’s never been a network favorite. But people who say this is going to be a walk in the park for Pacquiao are crazy.”

Inside Cowboys Stadium on Thursday, Clottey leaned forward in the stands, his eyes fixed on the scoreboard that read “Pacquiao-Clottey, The Event.” Clottey had secured the fight he always wanted. For him, Mayweather-Pacquiao could wait.

Source: nytimes.com

Pac-man primed for Clottey showdown

ARLINGTON, Texas – Manny Pacquiao has ascended to the level of the boxing legends.

He faces a difficult test on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium when he defends his World Boxing Organization welterweight title in an HBO Pay-Per-View bout against Joshua Clottey.

Promoter Bob Arum was beaming after Friday’s festive weigh-in that attracted around 2,500 enthusiastic fans to the plaza outside the swank stadium.

Only a few hundred of the 45,000 tickets for the card remain, prompting Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Friday to offer standing-room tickets at $35 apiece.

Jones refers to his standing-room seats as “party passes,” and Arum will be partying for a week if early indications of the fight’s popularity prove true.

The closed-circuit locations and presales in the East are at record levels, surpassing where they were in 2007 for the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. Indications are that the pay-per-view is tracking better than expected, and Arum said he won’t be shocked if it touches 900,000 buyers.

That’s an astonishing number for just about any fight but even more so for a bout against a largely unknown opponent like Clottey, who doesn’t bring with him a large fan base.

Had Pacquiao-Clottey fought two years ago, Arum would have been lucky to have sold a quarter of the tickets he has sold for Saturday’s card.

One of the truths in boxing promoting is that you always need a strong ‘B-side’ if you’re going to do real business.

Pacquiao, though, is one of the few exceptions to that maxim. He is one of those, like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, who no longer needs a wildly popular B-side to sell. Pacquiao sells tickets and pay-per-views on his name alone.

He erased any doubts about his legitimacy as a welterweight when he decimated Cotto in November.

Pacquiao has set the bar enormously high, and though Clottey never has been knocked out, trainer Freddie Roach is expecting Pacquiao to set another first.

“I really believe Manny will find a way,” Roach said.

Pacquiao was as relaxed as ever on Friday. He was wolfing down food in an attempt to come somewhere near the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

He was 142 when he awakened on Friday, then ate a large breakfast featuring eggs and had a lunch of grilled pork, grilled beef, white and brown rice and steamed vegetables. He was also gulping large amounts of water.

That’s in stark contrast to the vast majority of fighters, who can’t eat at all on the day of the weigh-in and wind up sucking on ice or, if they’re lucky, slices of fruit.

Despite all he ate – and he was headed for dinner after the weigh-in – he still was only 145 pounds.

Like Ali, he understands his place in the sport, as well. Boxing fans were bitterly disappointed when a bout with Mayweather wasn’t finalized. That would have pitted the two best fighters in the world for overall supremacy in a match that in essence would have been boxing’s Super Bowl.

Facing a difficult, but far less notable opponent, Pacquiao understands the need to perform to give the sport a jolt when it needs one after it lost a mega-fight at the negotiating table.

“I can’t promise a knockout, but I want to put on a good show for the people who support me all the time,” he said.

Clottey is a bigger man naturally and probably will weigh around 160 pounds by the time he walks to the ring on Saturday. Pacquiao may go up to 148 but certainly isn’t expected to hit 150.

He has been smaller than everyone he has fought since his epic 2008 match with Juan Manuel Marquez, but in subsequent knockout victories over then-lightweight champion David Diaz, De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Cotto, Pacquiao has been stalking his larger opponents.

Perhaps the most stunning scene in many a year was Cotto, one of the toughest, most aggressive fighters in recent times, backpedaling to flee the power of the man who just two years earlier was fighting at 128 pounds.

His meteoric rise from super bantamweight in 2001, where he won the International Boxing Federation title while weighing 121 pounds, to his crushing victory over Cotto in November has caused some to suspect he has used performance-enhancing drugs.

The Mayweather fight was unable to be made for that very reason, as Mayweather for the first time in his career demanded that his opponent agree to random blood and urine testing.

Arum, though, insists it’s a misnomer to believe Pacquiao is a big man now.

“He was having trouble making 130 and after the Marquez fight (on March 15, 2008), he wanted to go to lightweight (and its 135-pound limit,” Arum said. “But he’s really a 140-pounder now. He fought Hatton at 138. His most comfortable weight now is 140, but if there were some kind of a huge fight at 135, he could make that if he had to.

“That’s what makes what he’s doing all the more remarkable, because you have this little guy just beating the (expletive) out of guys who are physically a lot bigger than he is.”

Clottey has a tight defense and isn’t a guy who throws a lot of punches, thereby reducing the number of openings to be hit. So Pacquiao may not get the knockout, but there is one thing you can count on when Manny Pacquiao hits the ring – excitement.

Legendary hockey announcer Mike Lange of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins often would say during a particularly exciting game, “If you’ve missed this one, shame on you for six weeks.”

And if you’re a boxing fan and you miss a chance to see Pacquiao, you’re going to regret it a lot longer than just six weeks.

He’s that good.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

PACQUIAO MAY GIVE AWAY TEN POUNDS TO CLOTTEY

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 13 Mar 2010

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao may give away around ten pounds when he enters the ring in “The Event” against Ghana’s tough guy Joshua Clottey at the unbelievable $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Sunday, Manila Time.

At the official weigh-in which drew a huge crowd of predominantly Pacquiao supporters, the Filipino champion weighed 145 ¾ pounds while Clottey who reportedly had to shed off some excess weight the previous day tipped the scales at the exact welterweight limit of 147.

Clottey said earlier that he was going to have a hearty meal after the weigh in and the consensus is that he will enter the ring at around 160 pounds on fight night although his trainer Lenny De Jesus told us the other day that he wanted to make sure Clottey comes in around 155 so his weight won’t slow him down against the super fast Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s conditioning expert Alex Ariza said he expects Pacquiao to weight around 150 at fight time which would definitely give Clottey, who can take a big shot, an advantage in weight to go with his slight advantage in height which was evident when the two fighters posted for the media.

Try as they might to provide the customary stare-down, Pacquiao and Clottey couldn’t pull it off and instead smiled at each other further accentuating what Pacquiao has always maintained – there is no need for trash-talk.

Indeed, if there is one added dimension to the Pacquiao legend is that like the late, great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, he earns the respect of his opponents by being a gentleman in and outside the ring.

The two Filipinos featured in the undercard also made weight without trouble.

Featherweight Michael Farenas, a protégé of former two-division world champion Gerry Penalosa came in at 127 1/5 pounds as against the 126 of veteran Joe Morales while bantamweight Eden Sonsona, a protégé of Pacquiao’s former business manager, the late Rod Nazario weighed 119.7 pounds while his opponent, former world champion, veteran Mauricio Pastrana checked in at 119 ½ pounds.

In the WBC lightweight title fight former champion David Diaz from whom Pacquiao won the title with a crushing 9th round tipped the scales at 134 while champion Humberto Sotto was slightly heavier at 134 1/5 pounds.

Diaz believes that Pacquiao faces "a tough fight against Clottey, but its a winnable fight for Pacquiao." WBA super flyweight interim champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire says he expects Pacquiao to win by a twelve round decision and the chances of winning by a knockout are about 30 percent.

Diaz, who came back from the loss to Pacquiao on June 28, 2008 to win a majority decision over former WBC and IBF lightweight champion and WBC super featherweight champion Jesus Chavez last September 26 said he is “feeling good and f eels blessed to get another opportunity to fight for the world title. I am getting ready and hope everything will go right.”

He said the almost six months break since the Chavez fight wont affect him since he has been sparring a lot and while its not the same thing Diaz said “I think I’ll be okay.”

Diaz has been training under Mike Garcia and Jim Strickland in Chicago and said although Sotto “is a tough guy but I’ll work that body and try to get inside of him. He’s a real good technician in the way he uses his reach but if you get inside of that and work him I think we’ll be okay.”

Diaz recalled how well he was treated when he was Pacquiao’s guest along with Edwin Valero at Pacquiao’s lavish 30th birthday celebration in his hometown of General Santos City in December 2008. He said “they were all very nice and give them my best wishes.”

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao-Clottey Weigh-In Report/PREDICTION PAGE

By George Kimball

ARLINGTON, Texas --- When they stepped on the scale outside Texas Stadium Friday night the differential between them was a mere pound and a quarter, but Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach supposes that as much as 15 or 16 pounds could separate Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey by the time they step into the ring tomorrow night.

“Manny won’t put on much at all. He can’t gain much more (than the 145 3/4 he scaled in last night),” said Roach, who expects his righter to come into the ring weighing no more than 148 or 149. Clottey, on the other hand, is a natural welterweight who has made no secret of his intent to come in ‘big’ for the megabout, and Roach fully expects his fighter to be facing a full-fledged super-middleweight by the time the bell rings.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Clottey weighs 165 or 166 by fight time,” said Roach, who nonetheless remains resolute in his prediction of a Pacquiao knockout.

The weigh-in was conducted before an audience several thousand strong that would make for a decent crowd at most any club fight show you could think of. Announcer Michael Buffer was kept busy introducing the dignitaries, who included former champions Antonio Margarito and Jorge Arce of Mexico, along with Dallas‘ own Stevie Cruz, who upset Barry McGuigan to win the WBA featherweight title almost a quarter-century ago. Actor Robert Duvall was also introduced on the dais but did not weigh in, and Cowboys‘ safety Darren Woodson took the microphone from Buffer to warm up the crowd, whose allegiance seemed evenly divided between Mexico and the Philippines. If there were any rooters from Ghana they did not make their presence known.

Even though Cowboys Stadium was reconfigured to accommodate 45,000 for Pacquiao-Clottey, promoter Bob Arum said shortly before the weigh-in that just a handful of tickets remained, and a sellout appears likely. Arum revealed that his partner, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, had opted to put an undetermined (but probably unlimited) number of $35 “party” tickets on sale 24 hours before the fight.

The “party pass” is an innovation Jones developed for sold-out Cowboys home games. Patrons don’t get a seat, but rather are allowed to mill around on a plaza high above the field. Sight lines are pretty limited, but the party patrons are able to watch on the state of the art video boards, and, of course, have access to a bar. The setup was designed, according to Jones, “to accommodate fans who just want to be part of the atmosphere" -- and judging from the turnout at last night’s weigh-in and their reaction to Arum’s “party time!” announcement, there appears to be an abundance of those.

The main event referee, Rafael Ramos, was working the night Manny Pacquiao last fought in Texas three years ago, but their paths didn’t cross that night at the Alamodome. Ramos drew several undercard bouts, including those involving Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Victor Ortiz, but the assignment for the Paquiao-Jorge Solis main event went to Vic Drakulich of Transylvania.

Although he has resided in San Antonio for the past 17 years, the 53 year-old Ramos was born in Puerto Rico and cut his refereeing teeth in the New Jersey casinos two decades ago. Although he has worked upwards of 30 world title bouts, more than half of them were overseas, and he seems to specialize in Oriental junkets, having worked two dozen title bouts in the Far East, including 21 separate trips to Japan.

Ironically, Ramos was not the WBO’s first choice to work tonight’s bout. The slate of officials initially proposed listed Laurence Cole as the referee, but that was overruled by William Kuntz, the executive director of the Texas Commission. Not only has Cole involved himself in controversy by mishandling several high-profile bouts over the years (including a suspension for his misconduct in a 2006 fight involving Juan Manuel Marquez), but it was felt that the fact that he is the son of former Texas boxing boss Dickie Cole might create the appearance of impropriety. (This apparently never occurred to anyone on Dickie’s watch.)

At the very least, had the Cole appointment stood, there would have been as much attention focused on the referee as on the fighters themselves, and, Ramos noted earlier this week, “the fans aren’t paying to see me.”

Should their services be required, the panel of ringside judges for the main event will be Duane Ford (Nevada), Levi Martinez (New Mexico) and Nelson Vasquez (Puerto Rico).

Ramos was the referee when Marquez stopped Juan Diaz in the ninth round of their 2009 Fight of the Year candidate in Houston. Ironically, although their services were not required that night, both Ford and Martinez were judges for that bout.
* * *
Ten bouts in all are on tap, with the last four of them slated to be aired on the HBO PPV telecast, including the Humberto Soto-David Diaz WBC lightweight title fight.

In introducing the principals for that one at Thursday’s undercard press conference, promoter Bob Arum noted that more than any other single person, Diaz is responsible for setting in motion the chain of events leading to tonight’s megafight by agreeing to Pacquiao’s 2008 challenge for his WBC lightweight title.

Since Pacquiao had not once in 50 pro fights ventured north of 130 pounds, it was not a fight Diaz was obliged to take, and Pac-Man’s TKO9 presaged similar fates for Oscar De Lay Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto in Manny’s subsequent climb up the scales.

At 29, Alfonso Gomez is better known for his role in ‘The Contender’ and as the man who retired the late Arturo Gatti than for anything he’s done lately. Gomez revealed that much of his recent energy has gone into performing with his two brothers in a Spanish hip-hop group called Hybrid. Thursday afternoon the Fonz provided a sneak peek, reciting the lyrics to a recent composition, the subject of which was tonight’s 36 year-old opponent, Jose Luis Castillo.

The recitation was in Spanish, but we can reliably report that Gomez’ song incorporated the names of Castillo, Bob Arum, Freddy Krueger, and Tecate beer. Castillo seemed properly amused.

The PPV show will kick off with a scheduled ten-rounder in which Irish middleweight John Duddy has been pitted against his third consecutive Mexican-born opponent in his year-long quest for redemption following last year’s upset at the hands of Billy Lyell. Unlike his recent victims Michi Munoz and Juan Astorga, both of whom now reside in Kansas, Michael Medina lives in Monterrey and will be fighting North of the border for just the third time in his career.

It was consequently something of a surprise, then, to hear Medina address the gathering in perfectly un-accented English. (In fact, claimed a Texan in attendance, “Medina’s English is easier to understand than Duddy’s is.”)

“English was actually my first language,” Medina explained to us later. “I was born in Mexico, but my family moved to California when I was little. I went to American schools until I was 12, when we moved back to Mexico.”

In addition to the sold-out live audience, Arum is hoping for as many as 750,000 buys for the US pay-per-view telecast. Millions more, as Buffer likes to say, will be watching on live television around the world. The team of Ian Darke and Jim Watt are here to call the bout for Britain’s SKY TV. Because no Brit is involved, Pacquiao-Clottey will be shown on free television in the United Kingdom. By contrast, May’s Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi fight at the Madison Square Garden Theatre will be a pay-per-view fight in Britain. Go figure.

Source: thesweetscience.com

Exclusive image gallery: Pacquiao and Clottey both make weight for Saturday night

Moments ago both Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey made weight for their WBO Welterweight title fight tomorrow night at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Las Vegas photographer Chris Farina was able to capture images of each man and both fighters looking extremely relaxed and confident heading into tomorrow.

The champion Pacquiao weighed in at 145.75 pounds while Clottey weighed in right on the button at 147. It's not surprising that Pacquiao came in well under the Welterweight limit, as he was fighting at 135 pounds just a year and a half ago. While it was rumored that Clottey may have been having weight issues throughout the week he also showed his professionalism and desire in making the limit. Both men looked extremely fit and strong and there will surely be fireworks come Saturday night.

For exclusive images of Pacquiao and Clottey making weight please click on the collage below...

Source: Examiner.com

Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh In Video

Photos: Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh-In in Texas

Arlington,Texas — (L-R) Seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey weigh in (Pacquiao 145.75 lb, Clottey 147 lb) at Cowboys Stadium Friday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View. — Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank

Source: mannypacquiaovs.com

Doors of world's greatest stadium open on Manny Pacquiao v Joshua Clottey

By Gareth A Davies

When the 80ft pairs of glass doors of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium slowly eased their way open for the arrival of Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey for a windswept weigh-in – the event which has become known officially as ‘The Super Brawl’ truly came alive. Thousands of specatators had gathered on the quad outside this great temple to sport, built at a cost of $1.2 billion dollars. It is staggering in its detail, its levels, and its finishing. It is both gaudy and classy, all at once. The 70ft screens in the arena – they have to be seen to be believed, and are in High Definition – have been lowered by some distance on giant pulleys, and now hover like floating craft above the ring.

Their proximity to the ring enables them to dwarf the taught canvas and ropes where the brutal dance will be enacted in just over 24 hours. The fight is a sell-out. The anticipated chatter has begun. Pacquiao weighed in last.

145 and three quarter pounds. Clottey dead on 147. There is speculation that the African fighter, naturally the bigger man, may be as much as 20lbs heavier when they collide in the ring. Pacquiao will have to throw and run, and plans to trap Clottey, who will unleash upper cuts that may be dangerous for the Filipino who holds the WBO welterweight crown.

The giant canvas of the Cowboys stadium would befit a classic fight. The venue’s 45,000 seats have sold out, Jerry Jones announced through promoter Bob Arum that ‘party tickets’ would be on sale at $35 dollars, which means standing tickets around the flat bowl tiers of this great expanse to sport. Another 10,000 may now come.

No wonder they called it ‘The Event’. And little wonder that Arum, once more, has proven that he is a promotional genius.

Photos by Chris Farina.

Promoter Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Manny Pacquiao plays head games with Joshua Clottey

Boxing Examiner | Michael Marley

MICHAEL MARLEY'S POST WEIGH-IN EXCLUSIVE: THE FIGHTS BEHIND THE FIGHT AND THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORY

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS--Don't let his Smiling Jack, giggling public persona fool you. Manny Pacquiao loves to play psychological games with his opponents.

Muscular Joshua Clottey, who could climb into the Cowbooys Stadium ring late Saturday night as heavy as 164 pounds (or so manager Vinny Scolpino told me seconds ago as our hotel rooms are adjacent at the Gaylord Texan Hotel here), is no exception to Manny's penchant for trying to infect the mind of his foes.

A source who witnessed it told me that, upon their very first face to face meeting in the initial press conference hosted by Cowboys owner and billionaire Jerry Jones, Pacquiao shook hands with the study Ghanaian and leaned in close as if to share a special secret.

I'm reminded of the O'Jays song about "Smiling Faces..." (Top Rank, Chris Farina Photo) as Joshua Clottey made the welterweight limit of 1467 while Pacman was 145 3/4 at Friday afternoon outside the front gates of Cowboys Stadium



"I did you a favor," Pacman said to the African fighter. "I beat up Miguel Cotto for you."

Nudge, nudge and wink, wink. It was Pacman's obvious mental jab, his way to say I beat the rugged Puerto Rican and he beat you.

Pacquiao was at ringside in Madison Square Garden last June when Cotto pulled out a split decison over Clottey.

Did Clottey take Manny's bait?

According to the eyewitness, Clottey just kept grinning.

On the HBO telecast, look for lead announcer Jim Lampley to mention accurately how Pacman tries to "befriend" all his foes, never badmouthing them and then inviting some over to the Philippines as his personal guest...after he gives them a thorough beating.

Will Clottey be the next guy to get a free roundtrip to Manila? David Diaz, who fights on the undercard here, coould tell him how much fun and how lucrative it can be being a beaten down Pacman foe who lost graciously.

Source: Examiner.com